Dr. Punam, a familiar face on the BBC and a respected NHS physician, has raised an alert about a new flu variant that poses a greater risk to children compared to previous versions.
During her appearance on BBC Morning Live on Friday, she highlighted why this flu season has the medical community on edge.
Dr. Punam expressed, “While we often underestimate the flu, this winter is particularly concerning for us.”
She elaborated, “Typically, we witness a rise in flu cases around late November.”
Contrary to the norm, this year’s increase began earlier in October. She added, “This timing means people are unprotected since the NHS has been launching vaccination drives later than usual.”
Moreover, a novel strain of the virus has surfaced. “The common flu virus underwent a mutation this summer,” she explained.
“That means that any previous exposure that we’ve had to flu in the past, or any vaccine protection, actually that immunity is a little bit weaker.
“We get a heads up, almost a warning shot, from what happens across the world in Australia where they have their winter earlier than us. They have seen their worst flu season ever. We have to take heed of that.”
Dr Punam is strongly encouraging those who are eligible to receive their flu jabs as soon as possible. She added that the new strain has been deemed to be more harmful for children than previous variants.
The children’s flu vaccine is available for children aged 2 to 3 years, school-aged children (Reception to Year 11), and those with certain long-term health conditions.
If your child has missed their flu jab, you can arrange a free NHS flu vaccination at a pharmacy online or via the NHS App.
